


Transatlanticism

by CaraMiaBambina



Category: Dead Space
Genre: Drabble Collection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 08:40:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8321239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaraMiaBambina/pseuds/CaraMiaBambina
Summary: A series of short oneshots taking place between the events of Dead Space 2 and 3. Documenting the rise and inevitable fall of the relationship between Isaac and Ellie through sporadic, non-linear glimpses into their lives together while in hiding.





	1. Silence

There were many things about the vacuum of space that Isaac Clarke disliked. He didn't care much about the vast emptiness or the the fact he couldn't breathe without the use of his RIG's built in oxygen supply tank. He wasn't too impressed by nebulas or the brilliance of stars burning brightly from a million light-years away. He didn't care for the science behind how the void even existed. No, outer space was just another place to him. Another dangerous place set out to kill him. How terribly morbid.

What Isaac hated most about space though, was also what he liked most about it. It doesn't seem very possible to like something and hate it at the same time, but human emotions are strange, carnal entities that act however they want without any consideration as to what the person they're emoting from actually thinks. Like monsters, living inside us and tearing their way out.

Silence. That's what Isaac both liked and disliked. In the vast emptiness of space, no one could hear you scream or cry. Not if you shut off your communication system in your RIG that is. Nothing could be heard in space. All there ever was, was silence. Dead, cold, silence.

Isaac leaned back, floating limply in the zero gravity setting. He relaxed his old, tired muscles, aching from use. The former engineer closed his eyes and focused on the silence around him. Breathing in a deep breath of stale, recycled air from his RIG's oxygen unit, he tried hard to erase the thoughts now floating around in his head.

It had happened weeks ago, the events on Titan station, yet somehow he couldn't help but remember them as if they had only happened a few hours ago. Every little event stuck to his mind in vivid, terrifying detail. Like a nightmare he was forced to relive over and over again. This was far worse than the events on the Ishimura. Far worse. Because not only did he suffer another psychological breakdown due to a marker, he was now on the run from both EarthGov and the Unitologists.

What made him crack though was that he had brought a perfectly innocent person into this mess. Ellie Langford really had no business helping the likes of him. She didn't deserve to be put through his hell. And yet, she hadn't left his side since she saved his ass after he destroyed the marker on Titan station. It was like they had been friends for years, even though they barely knew each other then.

Isaac was grateful for her help, both in his attempt to escape the marker and in his relentless escape from the eyes of the government. But that still didn't stop him from feeling guilty for dragging her into hiding with him. She deserved better - the chance to live her life without fear of being arrested or murdered.

He sucked in another deep breath and glanced around through the narrow visor of his helmet. The bluish tinge of the backlight in the visor gave his surroundings a rather sickly feel, but he was already quite used to it by now. The former engineer had spent years working with this lighting and couldn't be bothered to change it now.

The silence was overwhelming by now. Deafening, even. But somehow Isaac found it peaceful. He shoved his horrid thoughts away and focused on the lack of noise, focused on his breathing. For all he cared his oxygen could run out and he wouldn't notice. All that mattered now was the gentle sensation of floating in space and the lack of anything to distract him.

But it seemed his ghosts didn't like that and came back to haunt him rather quickly. For some reason, the first thing he thought of was Nicole. And why wouldn't he? He still missed her immensely, he still loved her immensely as well. But he could only remember the marker's influence on him; forcing her ghost to try and convince him of convergence and casting her as some wicked, twisted entity. He clutched at his helmet, eyes scrunching as he grunted and told himself he made the right decision by leaving her - leaving the ghost of her that is - behind. It wasn't actually her. He had to keep reminding himself of that. She was dead and gone with the Ishimura. He destroyed her ghost with the Marker on Titan station.

He couldn't handle this though. The pain of heartbreak still haunted him. Nicole had been his soulmate, the love of his life. He still felt guilty for her death, even if it really wasn't his fault, he still wasn't able to get over the fact that he couldn't get to her in time.

He could feel the tears stinging at his eyes now. Curling in on himself he felt himself floating off in the void of space. He wanted to scream out, yell, shout do anything that would make him feel better but he knew it would all be useless. He'd just feel guilty again later. The silence was worse than deafening now. He was being suffocated by it, the silence consuming him like the monster it truly was.

"Isaac? What are you doing floating about out there? I've found the coordinates to a moon base in a galaxy not far from here. There's hardly any Unitologist influence there so we should be safe for awhile. Still, there's EarthGov we have to look out for," The voice over his communications system broke the silence. He'd forgotten to turn it off...

"Right... I was just... relaxing. I'll be back at the ship in a minute Ellie. Isaac out," He replied, instantly relaxing at the sound of Ellie's voice. If there was one thing that could pull him from the horrors of silence, it was her.


	2. Together

Ellie watched him carefully. He was shaking, whether it was in fear or shock or from the cold she couldn't tell. She'd never seen him so beat up like this... so sick. And when she'd first met him he had just escape the psychiatric ward on Titan station. Even then he seemed to be more composed - as mature and stoic as ever.

Yet here he was, Isaac Clarke, intelligent and serious engineer, lying in bed with the covers wrapped tightly around him, shivering and whimpering like a child who'd just been witness to a traumatic event. Reduced to nothing but a blubbering baby. Ellie couldn't begin to wonder what he'd been through. But he was back now. He was safe and she wanted him to know that.

She reached out and gently touched his shoulder. The older man flinched away and yelped, making Ellie involuntarily jump as well. "Shhhh! It's just me! I won't hurt you, you know that. I'll never hurt you Isaac," She cooed, hesitant to try and reach out to him again.

Isaac turned to look up at her, his whole body seeming to relax at the sight of her. "Ellie..." He sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He reached up, his hand cupping her face gently. His skin was rough and calloused against hers, she could feel the cracks and crevices where he had worked himself too hard - cutting open the skin and bleeding, eventually leaving tiny scars behind as reminders of his triumphs and downfalls.

"You're safe Isaac. We've escaped them again," Ellie was referring of course to the Unitologists or EarthGov or whoever was after them at this point. It felt like no matter where they went they were being chased after. It didn't matter who was chasing them. All that mattered was that Isaac was a wanted man.

"Are you... You're alright?" He asked, as she leaned into his hand. He gazed up at her, the dark circles around his light blue eyes giving way his age. Ellie could feel his eyes staring at her, almost staring right into her. She could never get used to that intense stare... It didn't bother her, it just wasn't something she was quite used to yet.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," She replied softly. "It's you we should be worried about. What happened? What did they do to you?"

Isaac shook his head frantically and rolled back over to face the wall. Ellie could tell he didn't want to talk about it, but she couldn't see him like this anymore. She tried to coax it out of him, gently rubbing his arm she leaned in close and whispered softly in his ear, "Isaac... If you don't tell me, you'll never let it go."

"Don't. Don't do this Ellie," Isaac warned her, sitting up and glaring at her with his piercing eyes. "You don't want to know what happened to me while I was gone... I... I don't wanna hurt you like that."

Her heart broke. He was a broken man inside, the events he'd witnessed, been forced to go through, they'd all been a part of his decline in mental health. Yet after everything he'd been through all he cared about was her well being. He didn't want to hurt her, he didn't want to corrupt her with the harsh truths of his past. They'd already been through so much together - she'd seen horrors she would never wish on anyone - but he still thought of her as the innocent beacon of light in his life.

Ellie gave up, she wouldn't push him anymore. He'd come around eventually. She kept telling herself that. And even if he didn't it wouldn't matter, he'd have a good reason. Reaching over and cupping his face in her hands, she pressed her forehead against his and stared into his eyes. "Alright... Just don't scare me like that again, okay?"

He smirked, much calmer now that she was nearby and nodded, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him. Ellie returned the smile and leaned in closer, her eyes sliding shut. She felt his hands rest comfortably on the small of her back as she pressed her lips against his.

The kiss didn't last very long. He pulled away quickly, like he always did, as if he was ashamed with what he was doing and didn't want to get caught. She never understood why he did it, but she knew he meant no harm when he did. Maybe because he was terrified Ellie would end up like his last girlfriend. Isaac rarely spoke of Nicole, but he kept her picture hanging above his desk, next to the countless photos of Ellie and him. Or perhaps he was afraid of something else? Whatever the case, his kisses rarely lasted longer than a few seconds at most.

Ellie stared into his eyes, reflecting the image of herself back at her. Her own eyes filled with worry for him. She sighed and gave him a small smile, trying to comfort him. "Are you alright now?"

He nodded, tossing the covers to the side and standing up. She could tell he was still shaking, though definitely not as violently as he was before. She watched as he headed over to the dresser and pulled out a plain white t-shirt, slipping it over his head and tugging it down. "I'm fine... Now that I know you're here."

Ellie stood up, walking over to him and burying her face in his shirt, hugging him tightly. She breathed in his scent, he was still a little sweaty, a musky scent that wasn't normal for him unless hard at work. She turned her head and spoke softly, "I'll always be here for you Isaac. We'll get through this together, you'll see."

He said nothing. Which wasn't abnormal for the engineer. He had always been a shy, soft-spoken person. Quite the opposite to the social butterfly Ellie had always been referred to. But there was a sense that he understood her and that he wanted nothing more than to make sure that everything would turn out well for them.

Ellie stood back, flashing a grin at him and heading towards the door leading out of the room. "C'mon, you're probably starved. Let's go get something to eat, yeah?"

Isaac flashed a big smile, "Yeah. Sounds good..."

He began to follow her but she stopped him, glancing down at his legs and then back up at him before chuckling, "Maybe you should get a pair of jeans or something on first."

She giggled, watching him blush, his face contorting into a bashful scowl as he turned and scooped his jeans up off floor and pulled them on quickly. She'd never sen him so embarrassed before. It was kind of endearing to watch.

Finally they made their way out of the apartment, hand in hand they walked down the hallways and out into the busy streets of the city. Ellie felt Isaac tense up, instantly on the lookout for anyone who was after him. She gave his hand a little squeeze and lead him down the street to her favorite little fast food joint. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him her little silent way of saying, Don't worry, we're together.


	3. A Whole New Feeling

He'd only known her a few months and already he could tell there was something about Ellie Langford that was different than anyone else. He'd first noticed his feelings changing when she smiled at him one day after he'd told her one of his cheesy jokes to try and lighten the mood. His heart pounded a little faster in his chest and he felt euphoric the moment the corners of her lips stretched upwards and revealed her brilliant white teeth in a smile so bright it could blind someone.

Isaac never thought he'd get over the death of his girlfriend, Nicole. She had been his everything. He had even planned on asking her to marry him one day... But all that had changed when she took the job on the USG Ishimura. All those wasted years of flirting and love, all those dreams he had for his future, everything crumbled into dust and slipped through his fingers as if nothing mattered anymore when he watched that video on the Ishimura. Nicole was dead. There was nothing that could fill the aching hole in his heart now.

But then he had met Ellie. At first, she didn't seem to like him, her sassy attitude and snarky remarks made that clear. But the more she realized she needed Isaac's help to survive - the more she got to know him - the more she opened up to him. She became much more friendlier and promised she'd be there for him while they survived the horrors on Titan station. Isaac was more than grateful to have someone on his side, and was even surprised when she came back to save him moments before his certain death. She was a true friend to him, and he couldn't be more grateful.

But here he was, seven (or was it eight?) months later, watching her snake her way through the crowds to get back to her tiny one bedroom apartment a few blocks away from his own. He was starting to notice things about her he had never noticed before. Like how her hair had this wonderful shine to it when she was under a bright light or how her giggling at his corny jokes made his heart flutter in his chest. She had a way with words too, her accent made her voice sound lovely. He had known her for so many months now and yet he learned something new about her everyday. And he wanted to. He wanted to know everything about her from her favorite movie to how she took her coffee in the morning. The more he got closer to her, the more he started noticing the little things about her. He was fascinated by her.

"Hey! Are you coming? I'm going to lose you in this crowd if you don't hurry. We just had to take the main roads didn't we?" Ellie's voice called out over the heads of busy business men and women. Isaac, luckily tall enough, could see where she was and quickly made his way towards her. He glanced around nervously as he did so, a habit of his, now that he was a wanted criminal.

"What's the hurry?" he asked, smirking, though there was a hint of suspicion in his voice. "You've been secretive all day... what have you got planned?"

"I told you it's a surprise..." Ellie returned the smirk and made her way towards her apartment building. Her hips swayed as she walked, another thing Isaac had noticed about her recently, one he wasn't so proud of noticing. He had to focus his attention on the back of her head as she lead him up the front steps and into the lobby of the tiny apartment building. Nicole would be rolling in her grave if she could see him now.

Isaac had always liked her apartment. It was cozier and more... welcoming than his. Then again, his was full of junk and dirty clothes strewn about. He was never really the organized type. Ellie had a cleaner, more well-kept place and often times he wondered why she was so neat and tidy, considering her rough around the edges personality. She didn't really seem the type to keep things organized, but then again, that's what he was starting to like more and more about her. There was always something unexpected about her.

Ellie turned to look at him, a little smirk appearing as she walked to the elevator and hit the button to go up. "You'll love it, I promise."

Isaac didn't say a word, he was just happy to be here with her. He enjoyed her presence, it made him feel happy again - normal even. Whenever she was nearby he felt safe, like he could forget everything that had happened to them both and just move on. She was his saving grace - his break from the nightmares and hallucinations telling him to converge and build more markers. Ellie was something solid - she was real.

"Before you ask me something lame like if it's your birthday, it's not... I just... felt like doing something nice for once," Ellie explained as they reached her apartment door. She gave him a quick smirk over her shoulder, her single blue eye gleaming in the dim lighting of the hallway. Isaac felt a pang of guilt as he gazed at her eyepatch. He still didn't have enough credits to get her a new eye and it was all his fault she lost it in the first place...

"Wasn't gonna," Isaac laughed, trying to push the guilt back so he wouldn't dampen the mood, "When have you ever done anything nice for once? This is new..."

"Shut up or you'll get face-full of my fist!" She threatened, but her tone of voice and the smile on her face said otherwise. She turned and punched in her code in the keypad, a small beep notifying that she had successfully unlocked the door and it was now ready to be opened. Her hand flicked over to the bright blue hologram circle and the "In progress" warning came up.

They waited for a short minute or two in silence before the door slid open and let them both inside the tiny apartment. Isaac's eyes widened as he noticed Ellie hadn't tidied up like she usually did when she knew someone was coming over. A few stray items of laundry were strewn about the living area, as if she had been in the middle of folding and putting it away when she left.

"Your laundry is the surprise?" He asked, a little disappointed. The question earned him a dirty glare and a snappy "No!"

"Your surprise is in the kitchen... I remembered you saying something about how much you like chocolate chip cookies, so I baked some!" She seemed extremely pleased with herself, confident in her baking skills.

"You? Baking?" Isaac burst out into laughter, "You're kidding right?" He almost doubled over in laughter, little creases appearing near his eyes, he hadn't laughed this hard in years.

Ellie scowled, "Hey! I may be really bad at cooking but I worked really hard to bake you these!" She stomped into the kitchen and came back out with a plateful of oddly shaped, but edible looking cookies. "I had to throw out the first few batches cause I didn't get the recipe right..." She blushed, the freckles speckling her nose and cheeks becoming more apparent, as she offered the plate to Isaac.

Isaac felt bad for laughing, she had put her heart and soul into making the cookies for him after all. "They look great Ellie, thank you..." He smiled, though he felt like perhaps that wasn't the response she was looking for.

Her eye cast downwards at her feet and she blushed a deeper shade of red as she replied, "Yeah, no problem Isaac... Just... thought you needed something sweet to... To make your day better, that's all."

It was then he noticed something entirely new. He could see it in the way she was acting and the way she spoke. She was nervous - something he'd never seen her emote before. Her voice was soft too, she sounded so young... like a schoolgirl with a crush. Isaac's eyes widened as he realized what this new feeling really was.

He took the plate from her and set it down on the coffee table before taking both her hands in his. Ellie's gaze instantly shot up to meet with his, her smile fading to a confused expression. "Ellie..." His voice was low as he stared into her eye, a smile slowly split across his face.

"What...?" She asked, face as bright as a cherry now. "Isaac?"

Isaac leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, his hands cupping her face gently as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, fingers threading through her hair.

Ellie tensed up at first, she didn't understand why all of a sudden her best friend was kissing her, but she relaxed slowly as she realized her feelings had grown to more than just friends. And apparently his had too.

Isaac was surprised when she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. But before things could get too heated he decided it was time to pull away, smiling dreamily as he did so.

"I... I love you," He finally admitted. That was what this new feeling was, wasn't it? The attraction, the want to be intimate, the feeling in his chest whenever he so much as heard her name. That was love. He loved her and there was no stopping it. He recognized the signs when he was with Nicole, and now he was recognizing them here with Ellie.

Ellie gazed up at him in awe for a moment before her lips curled upwards into a huge grin. "God you are such a Nerd," She began, her voice breathy, "I love you too."

Everything that was wrong with the universe - with him - was gone. In that very moment, Isaac Clarke was the happiest man in the universe. There was a new feeling running through him that moment too. Excitement. Excitement because the one person he loved more than anyone in all of the Sol loved him back. And that was all he could ever want.


	4. Sins

Isaac had developed a bit of a drinking problem. It wasn't serious, but he could tell that it was starting to affect others around him. But what else was he supposed to do for entertainment? He couldn't go out, there was too much of a chance he would get caught. He was a wanted criminal after all... And he was getting sick and tired of surfing the internet and watching television. There wasn't anything very interesting on either besides the same old news reports of him still being on the run and porn. Both of which seemed to bore him these days. He hated seeing his face plastered all over like he was some sort of celebrity and porn... Well, now that he was with Ellie there wasn't much use for that anymore, was there?

Ellie. The name was sweet on his lips and instantly made him smile the moment she came to mind. She had been through a lot with him. She was accused of being his accomplice only to have her name cleared a few months after the events of the sprawl. He had the chance to let her go. She had the chance to leave him and never return - live a life where she could do what she wanted and not have to hide from the law. But she hadn't taken that chance. Instead she had slipped her hand into his and and said in that beautiful accent of hers, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with you till the very end, Clarke."

And low and behold she had. Sort of. Isaac had nothing better to do than sit at home and get drunk. It was a pastime he wasn't proud of but it helped him forget. Helped him forget Nicole, The Sprawl, Ishimura, everything. He hated talking about it. He hated relieving the nightmares and the memories that plagued him. Alcohol made it all disappear, so alcohol became a crutch to depend on.

Ellie had gone out. No doubt to pick up groceries or do laundry or something. When Isaac awoke, he had a pounding migraine and a face covered in stubble that hadn't been shaved for at least a week. He groaned and rolled out of bed, glancing quickly at the note Ellie had left him asking to take the trash out. Since they had begun to live together they seemed to have fallen into a very comfortable routine. That was one thing he enjoyed about living with someone, especially Ellie.

He staggered over to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror, crows feet lined his eyes and greying hair betrayed his age. How he had ended up dating a young woman like Ellie he had no idea. Nicole had at least been a couple years younger than him, but Ellie... She was at least a decade his junior, perhaps more.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes and scowling at his appearance, he checked the time; it as nearly 1pm. How he had ended up sleeping in so late was another question he'd never be able to answer. But at least he was sleeping again... That was a plus.

He made his way into the small kitchenette, passing the coffee machine and heading straight for the fridge. Yanking it open, he heard it kick in and whir to life as it tried to keep everything frosty cold while the door was open. Isaac cursed it as the lights flickered, knowing he should have fixed it back when the damn thing broke, but at this point he just didn't care anymore. Reaching in he pulled out a glass bottle - beer. "Breakfast of champions..." He muttered under his breath and popped the cap off, quickly taking a swig and heading back into the main room where he sat on the couch and flicked on the TV.

Ellie didn't come home until later that evening. She had been working again. She had a small part-time job as a transport pilot for a small moving company. She walked into the apartment and headed straight for the shower - immediately wanting to get rid of the layer of sweat that covered her body. Isaac hardly noticed her walk in.

When she sat down beside him, dressed simply in one of his old t-shirts and a pair of loose lounge pants, he cocked a brow at her, "Hey, how was work?"

"Sucked. Like always, but I'm home now. You want to order take out?" She replied pleasantly, rubbing a towel through her still damp hair.

" 'm not hungry," Isaac muttered, keeping his eyes fixated on the holoscreen in front of him. He was already mid-way through his 8th beer that day and it was clear from his slurring words and depressed attitude that he was drunk.

"When did you start drinking today?" Ellie asked, two-toned eyes narrowing at the amount of clutter piled on the coffee table. He hadn't taken the trash out, that was for sure.

"I dunno. Noon," He mumbled, slightly ashamed.

"I thought I asked you to take the trash out... Did you not see my note? I left it in your RIGlink..." Ellie was getting annoyed, this was the third time this week she'd come home and he was already wasted. "Isaac, I asked you to do one little thing..."

"SHUT UP!" He yelled, clenching his eyes shut. Her nagging only made his migraine worse. Hell everything was making the migraine worse.

Ellie stood up and glared angrily at him. Her new eye - the one he'd made sure she gotten - shone a little more darker than her natural one in the dim lighting of the apartment. "I think you've had enough Isaac... Give me the beer," She demanded calmly.

"I'm fine! I'm just grumpy, I'm sorry," He tried to apologize and took another quick swig from the bottle in his hand.

"You're drunk... again! You know usually I'd be all for getting drunk, but the fact that you do it almost every damn day really tells me something, Isaac," Ellie's voice was stern - like a mother scolding a child. Isaac cringed and turned away, not wanting to look at her deadly stare at the moment. Her tone reminded him of his mother and he wanted nothing to do with her at the moment.

"I'm not drunk..."

"You are, and I'm getting sick of it. Give me the bottle, now Isaac," Ellie warned, reaching around him and yanking the bottle out of his grasp.

"WELL MAYBE IF YOU DIDN'T NAG AT ME ALL THE TIME AND MAYBE IF I WASN'T ON UNOFFICIAL HOUSE ARREST, I'D HAVE A BETTER HOBBY THAN DRINKING MY LIFE AWAY," Isaac swung his arm out, clipping a few of the bottles on the table and knocking them to the ground. Ellie gasped as they shattered and stepped back, afraid he might hit her next. "What else is there to do in this shithole slum, Ellie? Hm? Tell me."

Ellie scowled at him. How dare he shout at her like that. "Well maybe if you got up off your ass and did something with your life you wouldn't be complaining now would you?" She paused, her breathing becoming heavier and her facial features twisting into a more upset look rather than the angry scowl she'd sported before.

"Shut the fuck up Ellie. Not everyone has had their name cleared like you," He growled. He felt like strangling her, the voices in his head certainly thought it would be a good idea, but he knew better and resorted to slamming his fist down on the coffee table instead.

The noise had startled her, he heard her let out a tiny yelp and her feet pitter patter against the floor as she backed away again. He looked up to see her eyes were full of terror, she was genuinely scared of him. He had horrified her to the point that she was shaking. A twinge of guilt ran through him but he wasn't gonna give up just yet. She had started this fight, he was gonna make sure he had the last word when it ended.

"Y-you can sleep on the couch tonight then," She said defiantly. "I don't want to be near you now..."

"This is my apartment, Ellie..."

"I'm the one who pays the bills."

She had a point. Touche. But that didn't stop him from opening his fat mouth again, "Good. I don't wanna sleep next to you anyways..."

"Fine, have it your way, here's your fucking beer you useless prick," She finally spat, pulling her hand back and throwing the bottle across the room. It hit the wall behind him and shattered with a loud crack. Isaac had to duck and cover his head with his arms to protect himself from the shards of glass and leftover beer falling on him.

"THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?" He shouted, head snapping up to meet his gaze with hers. He was raging now, standing up he bounded towards her and pinned her against the wall, teeth barred in a display of hostility. The fear in her eyes increased as she winced away from him, letting out a sob. She had begun crying, he'd never seen her cry before and he had made her cry. More guilt flowed through him.

There was a thick silence as they stared at each other, contemplating what their next moves should be. After about ten minutes, Isaac let go, steaming with rage still, but calm enough to collect his thoughts.

"Were you always like this?" Her voice was soft and frightened, but broke the over welcomed silence. "Did you ever treat Nicole as badly? I feel sorry for her if you did..."

Isaac's expression dropped at the mention of his late girlfriend. He had never treated her as horribly as he had just treated Ellie. This was the alcohol talking, he'd never act so harshly towards Ellie if he was sober. He wouldn't dream of hurting her.

"Ellie I... I'm so sorry," He pleaded, "Ellie I would never hurt you. I'd never hurt you, you know that... You're right I'm drunk and I just... I'm angry at everyone and everything right now and I'm so sorry... please."

She stepped away from the wall, shaking still as tiny sobs left her. She pushed past him and headed into the kitchen. Isaac didn't follow, he didn't want to make her even more uncomfortable. He knew what she was capable of doing and he didn't want to make her feel trapped.

He heard the fridge whirr to life again and moments later she came back with a plate full of leftovers and her own bottle of beer. She didn't say a word to him as she passed by and sat down on the couch, avoiding the broken bits of glass and slowly beginning to eat. Her eyes focused on the holoscreen, playing some old cowboy movie from the twentieth century.

Isaac stood and watched her for a few moments before sitting down next to her. Not too close like he usually would, he didn't want to scare her off. They sat in silence, the only noise was the sound of the movie and the occasional sound of her chewing on something that looked like bok choy.

Finally when she was almost done she spoke up, "I'll clean up..."

"No... I will... you had a long day, and I still need to take out the trash," He smiled up at her, in his drunken state she was the only thing keeping him sober at the moment.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and her once hard gaze finally softened. "Thank you... I'm sorry for getting mad at you," She sighed.

"Don't apologize... It's my fault... I should lay off the alcohol for awhile," Isaac replied, avoiding her gaze. Why were apologies so god damn hard?

"I was so afraid you were actually going to hurt me..." She whispered.

"I dunno what I was thinking. I'm sorry... I don't know what I'd have done if I had actually been able to go through with that. Ellie, believe me when I say I would never let myself live it down if I did anything to hurt you," He quickly replied, his voice frantic and pleading with her. His hands quickly wrapped around hers and he turned to look at her. To his surprise she was looking back to him, the hint of a smile on her face.

"I know... I know," She whispered somberly. "You're too good of a person Isaac. You aren't like that."

She leaned in close, eyes shutting as she pressed her lips to his and kissed him gently. When she pulled away she had only one thing to say: "I forgive you."

The corners of his lips pulled up into a smile and he could still taste her sweet kiss. She was there for him. Through thick and thin.


	5. Chapter 5

Ellie is staring at the holoscreen. There's a look of pure terror in her eyes as she listens to the newscaster describe the gruesome events that had occurred on a nearby colony only a few days ago. Her breathing quickens, a shiver runs down her spine. It's happening again and there's nothing she can do about it.

Isaac is at his desk, focused on fixing her RIG for her. He is barely paying attention to the news, his concentration is key if he is to get this thing working properly again. He bites his lip, hides the screwdriver from Ellie's line of sight and carefully... Carefully...

"Isaac," Ellie's voice interrupts his thoughts. He quickly shoves the screwdriver back in its drawer and spins around in his chair to look at her.

"Hmm?"

"Are you listening to this? There's more of them out there! There's more Markers? D-did you know about this?" Her voice mimics her eyes' terror, shaky and sounding on the verge of tears.

Isaac takes a split second to stare at the screen. He hadn't had an episode in a few months. He believed he was getting better, but the sight on the screen made everything come rushing back - the horrors, the nightmares, the delusions and paranoia. He clamps his jaw tightly as an image of a Marker shows up on screen. He balls his hands into fists to keep from scratching the fake leather of his chair.

"Well? Isaac?" Ellie asks again, waiting for his answer.

He always had some inkling that there were others. He just never believed they'd be so close. He had no intention of ever dealing with a Marker threat ever again. He had made a life for himself here. He had a loving girlfriend, a roof over his head, food on the table, clothes on his back, why would he ever want to change that? Everything that was in the past was just that, in the past.

"No," he lies, "I had no idea..."

Ellie nods slowly, continues to watch the news coverage. They sit in silence, listening to the anchorwoman calmly report on the tragedy.

"The Markers are commonly referred to as holy artifacts for the Church of Unitology, but have been recently used in test labs for experimentation due to their seemingly unlimited power supply. It is yet unknown if the attack on Callisto Colony is a work of sabotage from famed Unitologist Jacob Arthur Danik or if it was simply a freak accident."

Isaac, now turned back to his work, slams his fist against the table. "Shut it off Ellie. Please."

She shakes her head, though he can't see it and replies softly, "I think we should go... The people there may need our help..."

Isaac's eyes widen and he freezes, heart stopping dead. He shakes his head and turns to look her dead in the eye. "They're already dead. Callisto is a three week trip. By the time we get there, there'll be nothing left," He explains, throwing his hands up dramatically as his voice rises. He isn't in the mood to argue about this right now. He isn't in the mood to argue at all.

Ellie's eyes are glued to the holoscreen, she barely notices him, she flinches as she hears his rising voice though. "There are others..." She whispers, Isaac can hardly hear her voice over the sound of the Newscaster, now moving onto a different story.

"There are others..." He repeats, his voice lowering to a whisper as well. He looks down at the carpet under his feet, smudged with dirt and grime from forgetting to take off his shoes.

There is silence between the two lovers. The holoscreen cuts to a commercial; a strikingly beautiful woman in a scantily clad bikini gives Ellie bedroom eyes and poses dramatically against a clearly fake backdrop as a soothing voice advertises Peng. Isaac turns back to his drawings, the chair squeaking slightly.

"You lied to me..." Ellie speaks, Isaac freezes again and holds his breath.

"You lied to me about knowing of the other Markers..."

"What makes you think that, El?" Isaac asks, brow raised and back still turned towards her. He fears turning around might cause her to lash out. He wants nothing more than to forget any of this has happened.

"Your drawings... You don't seem to notice them, but sometimes, when you're not really paying attention - staring off into space, that sort of thing... you'll scribble on your holopad. The shapes of Markers and Unitology symbols and scribbles in the unitology scrawl... You always end up deleting them shortly after but I've caught glimpses of them," She confesses. "I remember you scribbling the same phrase over and over... 'there are more'..."

Isaac can feel his head starting to pound. He runs an old cracked hand through his greying hair and shakes his head again. He opens his mouth to speak but is immediately cut off by Ellie continuing.

"You mumble... In your sleep. When you do sleep, that is. 'Make us whole', 'Convergence is unavoidable', 'There are more'..." She sighs and Isaac can hear the pain in her voice, the tears in her eyes. "I want to help Isaac... You are getting better... but you won't be completely better if you don't do something about these other Markers..."

Isaac licks his lips and swallows the lump that has formed in his throat, "Let's talk about this later Ellie... Please."

The newscaster is on the screen again, re-reporting on the events of Callisto Colony. "It's been two and half years since the incident on Titan station in which famed terrorist Isaac Clarke attacked and destroyed the Marker testing facility along with most of the Sprawl. Clarke was one of the sole survivors of the Aegis VII and Ishimura incidents five years ago. It is unclear whether or not he has anything to do with Danik's recent attacks or if Clarke has anything to do with the situations at all. Isaac Clarke was last seen on the flight deck of New Hor-"

"Shut it off. Now."

Ellie doesn't hesitate to do as she's told this time and the holoscreen immediately goes dim. She sits back and sighs, "Happy now?"

"Yes... Thank you."

Isaac sits in silence for a long time, staring at the scribbles on the holopad in front of him. Ellie clears her throat and stands up, her feet padding across the carpet towards the kitchen. She returns a moment later and hands him a cup of coffee, which he takes eagerly and smiles his thanks.

She doesn't return the smile. Instead she walks slowly towards the bedroom door, and glances over her shoulder weakly at him.

"Don't stay up all night... Please," Her voice is almost pleading. She disappears as the bedroom door slides shut. The only sound that fills the silence is the hum of the fridge in the kitchen and Isaac's slow, rhythmic breathing as he tries to calm himself down.

"There are more..." he whispers into the dark and turns back to his work.


	6. Sleeping Sickness

The neon red glow coming from the "No Vacancy" sign outside their window flickered violently and casted the room in an eerie dark light. If it wasn't for the fact that the blinds had been jammed by some previous tenant, the motel room would have been pitch black instead. In the glow of the neon light, the room looked small and cramped with furniture, what was once a single room was hastily converted to a double suite in some sad attempt to get more families to visit the cheap motel instead of the many one night stands and drug deals that the old, decaying, wallpapered walls were more used to.

Isaac's eyes shot open and a scream escaped him as she shot up in bed, nervously straining his eyes through the darkness at his surroundings. He was drenched in cold sweat and shivers ran down his spine. Another nightmare, just the same as the rest; necromorphs, markers, Nicole's screaming corpse and the ominous glow in her eyes as she shoved the syringe into his eyes. By now he was surprised he was still frightened by them. Panting heavily he ran a shaking, calloused hand through his matted, greying hair.

He turned to look at Ellie, who was lying in the other bed a few feet away. He hoped she hadn't woken up, but knowing his luck... "Hey Ell? You up?"

She shifted and sat up, curtain of dark brown hair hiding the fact that she still only had one eye. It'd only been a few months, but he still felt guilty for that. She shot him a dirty glare and propped herself up on her elbows, "I am now. It's hard to sleep when you keep screaming in your sleep... Nightmares again?"

He nodded and watched his hands shaking in his lap. "Sorry for waking you," he continued, "I'm still not sure how to get rid of them..."

"I swear if your screaming gets us kicked out of another motel one more time, Clarke..." Ellie hissed through the dark. He could hear the annoyance in her breath and as much as she tried to help, nothing had worked yet. No teas, sleeping meds, therapies, or anything would work. They tried white noise, music, sleep deprivation, hell he'd even tried getting shitfaced drunk just to see if it'd work. It wasn't that she didn't care about him, she would have left ages ago if she didn't. But this night terror thing was starting to get to her too.

"I know, I know... I'm sorry," He fell back into the pillows, staring up at the ceiling. He tried to imagine the ceiling of his apartment back on Earth. It'd been quite a long time since he was last there. Four years at least. He tried hard to imagine the smell of the detergent Nicole used to use on the bedsheets that made them smell like grass on a rainy day. The way his alarm clock's glow casted the strangest shapes onto the wall beside him. The safety and comfort that he'd had before Nicole had left. He ran a hand over his scruffy face. "Do you still get them?" He asked.

There was silence, and he thought for a moment that Ellie might have fallen back asleep. He didn't mind though, as long as she was getting rest then that's all that mattered. But then he heard her voice cut through the darkness again, soft and nervous, " Yeah... I get them all the time... M-mostly about... Kaleb."

Isaac instantly thought of the audio logs he'd found of Kaleb's last words. Still staring up at the ceiling, "They're not real Ellie... He won't hurt you. He was your friend, remember?"

"I know... You get 'em about Nicole though, right?" He heard the clink of beads and knew she was fiddling with the unitologist bracelet on her arm.

"Yeah... why?"

"She was your girlfriend right?"

"What does this have anything to do wi-"

"She was a lucky woman, Isaac."

He broke away from his staring contest with the ceiling to peer over at Ellie, who was sitting up now and nervously fidgeting with her bracelet. Her one eye was glued to him and she was chewing her bottom lip.

"Ellie?"

"You're a brave person, Isaac. You're stronger than most people too. I don't think you realize that. I don't think Nicole did either. But that's just my opinion... G-Goodnight, Isaac," She swallowed thickly and laid back down, rolling over and pulling the sheets over her head.

Isaac sat in silence, staring at the lump in the other bed that was Ellie. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and rolled over onto his side, back turned to Ellie. He stayed like that for a long time, contemplating what she had said. Repeating it over and over in his head. His eyes ached and itched, begging him to sleep again. But the words haunted him; You're stronger than most people too. I don't think you realize that. He stared at the wall and breathed in a long deep breath. The fact of the matter was, he wasn't as strong as Ellie thought. He couldn't even go to sleep without waking up crying and screaming in fear an hour or two later. His dreams were filled with haunting echos and the gore and viscera of the people he couldn't save.

He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the covers over his head.

x

Isaac's eyes shot open as cold sweat ran down the back of his neck and a scream left him again. A few seconds past as he caught his breath, the time flashing harshly into his eyes from the clock on the bedside table. He'd only been sleeping for about an hour and a half. Suddenly the bedside lamp between the two beds flickered on.

"How many times are you gonna wake me up tonight, Isaac?" Ellie's voice was groggy but venomous. She pulled her arm away from the lamp and glared at him with her eye through the curtain of long brown hair. She was propped up on one arm, sheets of the bed crumpled around her shoulders like the folds at the end of a burrito. She was giving him the death glare; the glare she only reserved for him when he'd made one too many cheesy jokes. But for some odd reason, she looked... endearing. Isaac couldn't help but feel the corners of his lips tug upwards.

"Oh and now you're smiling about it? I've had enough of this night terror shit, Isaac. We need to find a solution to it and now... Or we need to start getting seperate rooms because I seriously need some sleep," Ellie complained, face falling into her pillow and words muffled.

Isaac's smile quickly faded away, replaced with the overwhelming feeling of guilt. He shrank further under the sheets and sighed, knowing she was right. There had to be a way they could both get some sleep, it just wasn't very obvious...

Unless...

"Ellie?" Isaac asked, head poking out from under his sheets again.

"Mmmf?" She mumbled into her pillow.

"I think I have an idea on how we can both get some sleep. It may not be a permanent solution, hell, it might not even work at all, but it's worth a shot..." He raised a brow, watched as her eye turned to peer out at him with interest from her pile of pillows and blankets.

"I'm listening..."

"Well... why don't we try... Sleeping together?"

Ellie was standing over him with her fist raised high in about two seconds flat. Isaac instantly raised his arms over his head to protect himself and added, "NOT LIKE THAT! NOT LIKE THAT, I SWEAR!"

"THEN WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?" She argued, lunging slightly and causing him to flinch.

"I... I meant... just... Sleeping side by side... in the same bed... I... I won't touch you, I promise. I won't do anything funny. I just thought that having someone beside me... It'd just help, y'know?" Isaac explained, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. Ellie's fist lowered and her shoulders relaxed as Isaac patted the edge of the bed, inviting her to sit down.

"It's not gonna work Isaac. Nothing else did," She said flatly, her weight causing the mattress to shift. "What if it doesn't work? What will we do then?"

"And what if it does? Maybe I just need the comfort of knowing there's someone there beside me through the night. Maybe I'm not as strong as you think I am..." He rubbed the back of his neck. He was desperate now. He knew they both needed sleep. They couldn't live like this. Especially her. She was what was most important now.

"Of course you are Isaac... Th-this will pass, you'll get better..."

"It's worth a shot Ellie. If it doesn't work then it doesn't work and we'll try something else. It's not like I'm asking you to marry me. And you know I won't do anything to hurt you. But if you aren't comfortable with it, then I understand... asking someone you've only known for 6 months to sleep in the same bed as you is a little strange, I know..." He began, running a shaking hand through his greying hair.

"No. I'll do it," Ellie butted in. Eye glued to him and face stern before cracking into a nervous smile. "It's worth a shot... But you try anything funny and I'll make sure you never sleep again, understood?" She quickly added, face stern again and brows sinching together.

"Y-yeah... No funny stuff! I promise..." And that was a promise he could keep. He quickly slid over and made room for her to crawl in with him. She turned the light off and pulled the covers over her legs, sitting there awkwardly in silence for a moment.

Isaac slowly layed back down, awkwardly looking over at her from time to time to make sure she was okay. She eventually followed suit and they lied there, side by side, staring up at the ceiling. God I could probably go for a drink right now, Isaac thought, This was probably a bad idea.

"Well... Goodnight," Ellie said softly, rolling onto her side and pulling the sheets over her head again.

"Y-yeah, goodnight Ellie," Isaac replied, sighing nervously before mimicking her movements and closing his eyes.

x

His eyes shot open and he wiggled his nose. There was hair in his face, making his nose itchy. and he couldn't reach up to brush it away. It took Isaac a minute or two, but he suddenly realized he and Ellie were still sleeping together, arms wrapped around one another and legs in a tangled mess. There was the artificial glow of "sunlight" peaking through the window where the glow of the neon sign had been and it was then Isaac realized he hadn't had another nightmare. He'd been able to sleep...

He lifted his head to look at Ellie's face. She was sound asleep, a tiny smile on her lips. She looked so peaceful... she looked like she belonged there in his arms. Isaac watched her sleep for a moment, watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Rise and fall. Rise and fall. Rise and...

He smiled.


	7. Hunger

Her breath is sweet and hot against his skin as they stumble down the hall, laughing and holding each other up from a long night of drinking. Usually he's a sad drunk; the type to sit alone at the bar and wallow in his own self pity while everyone around him is lively and cheerful. But when she's around, when she's drinking with him, everything becomes so much more brighter. She makes him laugh with her cute little hiccups and slurred jokes. He doesn't mind dancing sloppily to some old pop song with her while she tells him how glad she is to have met him and wraps an arm around his neck, spilling her drink. He actually enjoys himself for once.

His arm is around her waist as she fumbles for her key, the constant electric hum of the fluorescent lights above them is the soundtrack for the night. She slides the key into the lock and the door opens with the touch of her palm. His hands hold onto her hips and she sways them as she walks. Usually they aren't so touchy, but the alcohol has gotten to them both and he can't seem to keep his hands off of her. She's not complaining, she too is caressing his neck and shoulders as they slip into her apartment, kicking off their shoes in a hurry at the door and tossing their jackets to the side.

It's dark in her apartment as they stumble towards the couch, hands plastered to each other and breath hot against each other's necks. He feels her hand on his chest, pushing him back onto the couch. She laughs, he has no idea why, but he laughs along with her and tugs her down with him.

Suddenly she's kissing him, her lips crushing against his in drunken fervor. Isaac's eyes widen and he blanks out for a moment, unsure of how to react. He's known her for what seems like forever but it really hasn't been that long. Ellie makes a soft "Mmm" as she nibbles on his bottom lip. He's intoxicated by it, probably worse than the alcohol in his system and immediately he cups her face in his hands and kisses her back. Her hands are slipping down his chest and her lips taste like a mixture of rum and mint toothpaste. He slips his fingers into her hair and sucks in a deep breath, chest rising and falling in time with hers.

He notices for the first time she's wearing something other than her usual drinking attire of jeans and t-shirt. He can feel silky fabric around her hips and stomach, his hands are exploring parts of her body he wouldn't dare touch if he were sober. Did she plan this? Her soft, heavy breaths are edging him on, giving him a reason to keep going. He wonders if he should ask if it's alright with her, if maybe they shouldn't be doing this, but she kisses his neck again and all worry is thrown out the window.

Isaac's fingers are tangled in her locks of dark brown hair as she presses her lipsticked lips against his jawline and down his neck. He feels her hands reach his belt and grasp it tightly, nails shining in the dark. He gasps and she giggles under her breath as the sound of his belt buckle being undone breaks the silence.

Ellie quickly moves to his shirt collar, staining it red with splotches of lipstick as her hands play with the hem of the shirt. Isaac looks down at her as she looks up at him, one eye still missing, he pushes the guilt out of his head for once to enjoy the seductive plea she's giving him with her gaze. "You don't need this shirt on right now, right?" She slurs, smirking up at him as her hands curl around the hem.

He swallows the lump in his throat and nods, "Yeah, I, uh... I mean, no! No, I don't need it..."

She giggles and begins pulling the shirt up and over his head. He helps her by wiggling free from the offending garment and tossing it on the floor for her. His mind runs in overdrive as she immediately latches her lips onto his collarbone and works her way down his chest and stomach, one hand fiddling with his belt again and the other tracing small shapes into his skin with her nails. He can't help but let out a shuddering sigh as she teases him.

He never thought she'd be this assertive. Well, of course, he knows how assertive she could be, but he always imagined her a little more submissive when it came to this sort of thing. He immediately tenses up the moment he realizes that he catches himself thinking of her like that. Not that he hadn't before, but he always catches himself and quickly reprimands himself for doing so, Ellie is his best friend, not his girlfriend. And as attractive as she is, he doesn't want to push her into something she isn't ready for, let alone he himself isn't ready for.

But it's a little too late now, isn't it? She's tugging his jeans down past his hips, the folds of fabric in his boxers clearly showing his arousal underneath. Ellie smirks up at him again and brushes her hand against his inner thigh, causing him to gasp yet again. There's a gleam in her eye as she teases him more, a sort of hunger burning inside her. Isaac is lost in her gaze for a moment, he wants to tell her he's in love with her and has been for a very long time now, but the words are lost on his lips and all he can muster is a soft guttural grunt. This is the alcohol talking, he's sure of it, but he can feel the hunger too. He nods softly and she tugs the waistband of his boxers down.

She's on her knees at his feet, her head tilted to the side and her hands caressing every inch of skin of his inner thighs, hips and lower abdomen. He sucks in a deep breath and lets his jaw fall slack as he feels her breath on his manhood. The blood is coursing through his veins at alarming speeds, he can feel his heartbeat speed up in his chest. It's running through him so fast he swears if he wasn't sitting down he'd be lightheaded and she hasn't even done anything yet.

Ellie looks up at him innocently, her lips parting slowly in a seductive pout that makes his face heat up like the flames of the sun. She reaches over and runs a finger up the shaft and immediately he lets out a small whimpering moan. Ellie huffs her approval at his response and quickly continues to massage the fleshy shaft, grasping it gently in her hand and stroking it gently.

Isaac shuts his eyes, he can hardly believe what's going on, let alone comprehend who is making him feel so wonderful. He curls into her stroke, arching his back. Ellie lets out another small noise of approval and works him a little faster. She doesn't say anything else, instead letting his soft grunts and moans play out as the background noise to their little adventure.

He tilts his head back and smiles, looking down into her eye. She doesn't dare break eye contact with him, biting her lip to keep from smiling too widely. She licks her lips and leans in closer, fingers teasing the head softly, she feels him twitch in her hand. In a moment she closes her eyes and parts her lips once more, tongue flicking out to run along his skin. Isaac throws his head back, mouth agape and eyes shut tight. His fingers curl into her hair again as she dips down to take him in her mouth. Her lips feel soft against his skin, her mouth his warm and wet. It's driving him absolutely insane how good this feels.

She swirls her tongue around his member and he moans, tugging gently at her hair. It's a silent signal to her that he wants her to keep going, so she dips down a little farther, taking more of him into her mouth. Isaac moans again, a little louder this time, and his face burns red. He can't believe this is actually happening. He feels like the luckiest man alive. He hears a muffled giggle from Ellie, and as if she's been reading his mind, she slowly wraps her lips around him tightly. Her head bobs up and down at a steady pace, his fingers curling and uncurling in her hair with each stroke of her lips.

She's making more "Mmm" noises now. And he can hardly take it anymore, there's a hunger rumbling in his core for her. He wants to devour her from the inside out, expressed vocally through a throaty groan that leaves his lips as she works him with her mouth. His hips buck up to meet with her lips and she gladly takes all of him. He can feel his climax coming close, he's almost ready, but she's pulling away and -

When she pulls away and looks up at him, she still has that seductive glare and she reaches up to wipe her mouth of any offending saliva, smudging what's left of her lipstick across her cheek in the process. "Well?" She asks, a brow raising in triumphant cockiness. She knows damn well what he thought of that; he's speechless as he stares dumbfounded at her for a moment. "That good, huh?"

Isaac shakes out of it and laughs softly, "Y-yeah, I, uh... I haven't had something like that happen to me in a while... but, why'd you stop?"

He already knows that answer, but she indulges him anyways.

"You 'ought you were gonna be the only one 'aving fun here? Really now, Isaac? 'ow fair is that?" She slurs and he suddenly notices her accent is thicker when she's drunk.

He shakes his head quickly and immediately cups her face in his hands, pulling her up onto his lap again. His heart is still beating wildly, he's never felt so passionate about someone as he does now. Perhaps once, a long time ago, when she had snow white skin and hair as blonde as the sun itself, but that was in the past and he's more than ready to move on now. He kisses Ellie's lips, runs his fingers along her caramel skin, drunkenly counts the tiny freckles on her cheeks, and stares into the deep blue eye he feels so guilty about. His rough, calloused hands caress the skin of her arms and neck softly as he slips his tongue past her lips. She's breathing heavily now, her chest heaving with each whimper that threatens to escape her. Isaac's hands land on the silky top and he stops to look up at her for permission to continue.

Ellie nods quickly, and his hands almost immediately start fumbling with the buttons of her shirt. After a few embarrassingly long minutes, he manages to strip her of her shirt and he kisses her chest, hands running along the lace of her black bra. A fleeting wonder if she's wearing matching panties runs through his head but he is too distracted to keep that thought for long. She's mumbling his name under her breath and encouraging him to go on. Isaac's lips make their way to her neck again and he breathes in deeply, the scent of warm vanilla and cinnamon fill his lungs.

Her arms are wrapping lovingly around his neck, her fingers threading through the matted greying hair at the top of his head. He loves the feel of her fingernails scratching lightly against his scalp, the sound of her heated breaths and the way her chest pushes up against his. He loves everything about her and he's going to indulge in this moment for as long as he possibly can, for fear he may never get a chance like this again.

He feels his arms wrapping around her waist and hands cupping her ass roughly. He knows the layout of her apartment like the back of his hand (having spent many hours helping her around the house just so he wouldn't have to go home to an empty apartment and dwell in his own thoughts) so he lifts her up, kicking his jeans and boxers away and carries her across the room to her bedroom. Her legs clamp around him as he walks and he holds onto her tightly so she won't fall, they sway slightly.

"Isaac," Ellie whispers, "I'm so happy..."

He crosses the threshold and heads for her bed. "Yeah... Me too."

"No.. Isaac, I'm real fuckin' happy right now," She says as he gently lays her down, her hair falls in waves around her head. She looks like a goddamn angel.

"You won't believe how happy I am right now, Ellie," He murmurs into her skin, fingers curling around the waistband of the leggings she's wearing.

"Mmm, Isaac... I want to feel good too," She mumbles.

He smirks softly; he'll do his best to make her feel like the queen of the whole fucking universe and he'll stop at nothing until she does. He begins pulling her pants off, revealing the matching lace undies he'd been wondering about. He hears her giggle again, music to his ears. Her chest is rising and falling quickly, the smile spreading across her face is addicting. He wants to make sure it stays there for the whole damn night.

His fingertips glide up her legs, lingering at her hips for a brief moment before gently caressing the lace waistband of the panties as he drunkenly admires her. He's so in love with her at this moment that he doesn't care if this some how ruins their relationship. He doesn't see how it will though, if anything they could just claim this as a drunken mistake and swear it'll never happen again. A secret to share between the two of them.

Ellie gazes up at him through a heavy lidded eye and bites her lip in a teasing gesture. "Isaaaaac~" She sings, one hand tangling through her hair and the other running down his chest. "Don't keep me waiting~"

He suddenly realizes he's been staring at her this whole time. Shaking from his daydream, he lets out a soft chuckle and loops the waistband around his thumbs. Ellie wiggles her hips excitedly at the thought and gives him the most adorable smile as he slowly pulls the panties down over the freckled hips.

It isn't like he hasn't seen her barely dressed before; having had to share motel rooms over the past year and a half, they had easily gotten comfortable around each other to dress and undress in front of each other. But here and now, it is a whole new experience. He notices things he's never noticed before; the tiny freckles from her cheeks are matched by the ones on her hips, and the smooth softness of her skin is intoxicatingly wonderful.

The panties are tossed to the side, and her legs are spread slowly. Isaac kisses her inner thigh, hears her giggle as his unshaven face tickles her legs. His hands caress every inch of skin he can reach as his lips make their way to the tiny tuft of hair above the mound of flesh between her legs. He listens to her breathing, cracking open his icy blue eyes to look up at her; waiting for her approval.

She stares into his eyes for a moment before quickly nodding, bucking her hips as an extra display of encouragement. That familiar smirk of his suddenly flashes across his face and he dips down again with fervent determinism. His tongue juts out and gently tastes her, gliding the length of her slit. He hears an audible "ahh" come from her lungs and he smiles inwardly.

He continues to tease and lick, his hands grabbing her ass as she wiggles from under him and moans his name. She's driving him mad, her scent, her taste, her everything. She arches her back and lets out a small "Oh!" as he feels a shiver run through her and the lips of her womanhood quiver around his tongue.

Isaac pulls away to look up at her. "You alright?" He asks, wiping off his mouth the same way she did earlier. Ellie nods and smiles up at him dreamily.

"Isaac?" She seems a little nervous all of a sudden.

"Yes?"

"I... I've kind of... I've been wanting this to happen for awhile now," She confesses. There's a small blush to her cheeks as she speaks and Isaac can't help but smile at that.

"Have you now?" He teases, shifting so he's face to face with her. She immediately covers her face with her hands and nods softly, laughing again. Isaac shifts his weight and gently pulls her hands away. It must be the alcohol but he leans down and kisses her softly before continuing, "I'll let you in on a little secret."

"Hmm?" She raises a brow at that.

"I did too."

"R-really?!"

"Mhm," another nod of his head.

"It just... Brilliant. I thought I was the only one... You're just always so... hushed about things, that I bloody well thought you didn't even think of me that way and I.." She's rambling on, still obviously drunk. Isaac just watches her, smiling. He can't help it, she's gorgeous and so precious when she does it.

"Anyways, we've been chatting each other up lately and we've sort of been acting less like mates y'know - getting closer and all that bollocks and I thought... I dunno, it just seemed like this was bound to happen. Like it was meant to be," She finished.

"You're drunk, Ellie," Isaac laughed.

"You are too, you old bastard! Now shut the bloody fuck up and bang me."

Same old Ellie. "Yes Ma'am!" Isaac replied, smirking. He leans down and kisses her neck, ignoring her meaningless insult. She immediately reaches up and threads her fingers through his hair. His erection is grinding against the inside of her leg and he feels her wiggle her hips again, a sign telling him to hurry up.

Holding himself up with one hand and he gently guides his manhood to her entrance. He's nervous of course, heart pounding as the anticipation slowly eats away at him. Should they really be doing this? She just said she wanted this - for awhile now - so why is he so damn nervous?

She kisses him again and all his worries wash away. He thrusts slowly, feeling her tighten up around him, watching as she reacts just as he hoped she would; head thrown back, eyes closed and chest rising and falling with each heated breath she takes.

He eases in slowly, not wanting to take things too quickly. But her legs clamp around his waist and pull him in further. He lets out a small gasp and grunts, the euphoric feeling that's running through his veins at the moment heightens with her low, guttural moan. He begins to thrust slowly, rocking his hips to meet with hers. Ellie is panting, her fingers and toes curling with each thrust.

She's feeding him what he desires but Isaac is a greedy man and wants more, his teeth dragging against her collarbone and rough skinned hand pulling down the bra to reveal her breasts. Ellie is lost in a daze of endorphins as he begins thrusting just a little faster, his lips against an exposed nipple now. She arches her back just a bit and begins to rock her hips in time with his, building up the feeling he's causing inside her.

This feeling is pushing him over the edge, he can feel himself nearing his climax already. But, not wanting to disappoint, he pushes on, focusing on making her satisfied first. He bites the inside of his cheek and thrusts harder, the tiny moans and whimpers becoming a symphony to him. She's digging her nails into his skin, the pain is masked by pleasure. He can't handle this anymore, but Isaac isn't one to give in just yet.

Ellie suddenly clamps up, head thrown back again and loud moan leaving her lungs as she shudders and tightens around him even more than she already has. Her climax lasts for a few more minutes before she relaxes and falls back into the pillows. Isaac keeps pumping, relieved he can finally come too and quickly does so, pulling away just in time.

He falls onto the bed beside her, panting softly as she cleans up a bit. He turns his head to look at her, a small smile appearing on his shaggy face. She returns it, nuzzling up close to him and pulling the sheets up over her shoulders.

"So..." He muses, putting his arm around her. "Guess this means I'm staying the night?"

She chuckles sleepily then yawned, "As long as you want to."

Of course he does. He watches her in his arms, curled up with her eyes closed, she falls asleep almost instantly. Isaac sighs happily and pulls Ellie just a little closer. It may be a little awkward in the morning after they've slept the alcohol off, and they might act all embarrassed around each other for a few days afterwards, but all that matters now to Isaac is that smile on Ellie's sleeping face.

He brushes the hair out of her face, pecks her cheek and closes his eyes. Hunger satisfied, he waits for sleep to take him too.

**Author's Note:**

> This series was originally posted on my FF.Net account, but seeing as I rarely go on that site anymore I thought it was time to bring it here!!


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